Method for inhibiting use of mobile communication terminal having memory where card information is stored, mobile communication network, and mobile communication terminal

ABSTRACT

In a mobile communication network equipped with a wireless communication interface with a mobile communication terminal, when a need arises for disabling calling and card functions of a mobile communication terminal with a plurality of card information stored, there is provided a credit transaction system for permitting the process of disabling the calling and card functions of the mobile communication terminal, comprising a mobile station  100,  a mobile telephone network  20,  a mobile packet communication network  30,  a CAT terminal  40   a,    40   b , . . . , the CAFIS network  50,  a credit company&#39;s server  60 A,  60 B, and the Internet  70.  Credit disablement flags are set in a control station  33,  and the mobile station  100  receives a disabling signal from the control station  33  through a base station  31.  The mobile station  100  subsequently deletes credit contract information stored in itself.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates to a method for disabling a mobile communicationterminal such as a mobile phone; a mobile communication network and amobile communication terminal.

BACKGROUND ART

Various types of cards have been used such as credit cards and bankcards. Recently, there have been many cases where one person holds aplurality of cards.

When these cards are lost or get stolen, card holders and card issuinginstitutions must disable these cards so as to prevent a third personwho has gained the cards from illegally using them.

In order to do this, when card holders lose cards, they first call cardissuing institutions to report the loss of the cards. Subsequently, thecard issuing institutions which have received the report register thedisabling information of the subject card in their database.

On the other hand, merchants where cards are used make an inquiry forapproval or denial of card transactions, and card issuing institutionsdetermine approval or denial of the subject card transaction referringto presence or absence of card disabling information stored in their owndatabase.

Since card holders usually put a plurality of cards together in a pursein many cases, the plurality of cards could get lost or stolen at onetime in the case of being lost or stolen.

On the other hand, these cards are issued and managed in theirrespective card issuing institutions; in the case of losing a pluralityof cards at one time, it is troublesome to report to all the cardissuing institutions separately for every card.

Further, there are cases where it is hard for cardholders themselves toknow immediately which cards are stolen, thereby inhibiting thecardholders from reporting the loss at once.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

This invention is made in consideration of the above-mentionedsituations, and has an object to provide a disabling method capable ofconducting the card disabling processing quickly, easily, and certainly;a mobile communication network and a mobile communication terminal usedfor the method.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present inventionprovides a method for disabling a mobile communication terminal througha mobile communication network equipped with a wireless communicationinterface with the mobile communication terminal, the mobilecommunication terminal storing one or plurality of card informationitems, comprising the steps of: in response to a request for disablingsaid mobile communication terminal, storing in a memory disablinginformation with regard to the requested mobile communication terminal;when there is a call from a mobile communication terminal correspondingto the disabling information stored in the memory, wirelesslytransmitting disabling signal for disabling part or all of functions ofthe mobile communication terminal; receiving the said transmittedsignals at said mobile communication terminal; and conducting a processfor disabling said mobile communication terminal based on the receiveddisabling signal at said mobile commination terminal.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile station100 used for a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the mobile station 100 with a magneticcard 161 retracted.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the mobile station 100 with the magneticstripe 160 portion of the magnetic card 161 protruded.

FIG. 4 is block diagram showing a configuration of a credit transactionsystem using the mobile station 100.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a subscriber database331.

FIG. 6 is a data format diagram of a registered subscriber informationfile 304.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a configuration of a member database 61.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a credit database 62.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a configuration of a prospectivecontract-renewal members file 601.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a gateway server32.

FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B cooperate to form a flow diagram of the first halfsequence of operations for signing up credit card contracts, shoppingwith a credit card via a mobile packet communication network, makingchanges in registered member information, canceling credit cardcontracts, and inquiring for credit histories.

FIG. 12A and FIG. 12B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing anoperation of the mobile station 100 and the credit transaction system insigning up credit card contracts.

FIG. 13A to FIG. 13J are diagrams showing screen images displayed on aliquid crystal display 132 of the mobile station 100 in signing up acredit card contract.

FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing anoperation of the mobile station 100 and the credit transaction system inshopping with a credit card function of the mobile station 100 in theshop.

FIG. 15A and FIG. 15B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing anoperation of the mobile station 100 and the credit transaction system inshopping with a credit card function of the mobile station 100 via themobile packet communication network.

FIG. 16A and FIG. 16B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing anoperation of the mobile station 100 and the credit transaction system inrenewing credit card contracts.

FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing anoperation of the mobile station 100 and credit transaction system inmaking changes in registered member information.

FIG. 18 is a flow diagram showing an operation of the mobile station 100and the credit transaction system in canceling credit card contracts.

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram showing a flow of an operation in disablingcalling and credit card functions of the mobile station 100.

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram showing a flow of an operation in inquiringfor credit histories.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile station100 that displays bar codes indicating credit card contract informationon its liquid crystal display 132.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing a configuration of CAT 40 equippedwith a bar-code reader.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the mobile station100 that transmits credit card contract information to the CAT 40 a, 40b, . . . by an infrared communication.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a CAT 40 equippedwith an infrared receiver and a demodulator.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile station100 that transmits credit card contract information to the CAT 40 a, 40b, . . . by an existing data input/output terminal.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a CAT 40 equippedwith an input/output terminal.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[1] First Embodiment

[1. Configuration of the Embodiment]

[1-1. Configuration of Mobile Station]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile station100, a mobile communication terminal used in a first embodiment of thepresent invention. As shown in the figure, the mobile station 100 has atransmitter-receiver 110, a control unit 120, a user interface 130, adata input/output terminal 140, a magnetic writer 150, and a magneticstripe 160.

FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are perspective views showing the appearance of themobile station 100. This mobile station 100 is equipped with a cardretracting/protruding key 131, a magnetic card 161 that has a magneticstripe 160 shown in FIG. 1, and a slot 101 for retracting or protrudingthe magnetic card 161. The user operates the card retracting/protrudingkey 131, thereby permitting the magnetic card 161 retracted in the slot101 as shown in the FIG. 2, or the magnetic stripe 160 portion of themagnetic card 161 protruded out of the slot 101.

In FIG. 1, the transmitter-receiver 110 handles wireless communicationswith base stations of a mobile communication network which provides themobile telephone communication service and the mobile packetcommunication service.

The control unit 120 controls each of the sections of the mobile station100, and comprises a CPU 121, a program ROM 122, a credit card contractROM 123, and a RAM 124. The operational modes in this mobile station 100include a calling mode for performing phone-to-phone conversations viathe mobile communication network, and a packet communication mode forperforming packet communications via the mobile packet communicationnetwork. Users can set a desired mode. The control unit 120 controlseach of the sections of the mobile station 100 according to set state ofeach of these modes.

The RAM 124 is used as a work area for the CPU 121 or a user data areafor storing such information as phone directory data.

The credit card contract ROM 123 is a memory for storing one orplurality of card information items. In the present embodiment, creditcard contract information on profiles of a credit card contract underwhich a user of the mobile station 100 is with a credit card company arestored as card information. These credit card contract information aregiven from the credit card company to its members, including, forexample, the name of the credit card company with which a user is undercontract, a URL of the server of the credit card company (as willhereinafter be described), a credit-card number, an identificationnumber given to each credit card usually consisting of 16-digitnumerals, the expiration date of the credit card, and the member's name.In a case where a user of the mobile station 100 is under contract witha plurality of credit card companies, the credit card contractinformation corresponding to the plurality of credit cards are stored inthis credit card contract ROM 123.

This credit card contract ROM 123 is accessible only from a special ROMreader/writer or a private server owned by a credit card company. In thecase of being accessed from a special ROM reader/writer to the creditcard contract ROM 123, write information to the credit card contract ROM123 are transmitted to the control unit 120 from the ROM reader/writerconnected to the data input/output terminal 140. The control unit 120,after ensuring the validity of the accessing ROM reader/writer, writesthe write information into the credit card contract ROM 123. Also, inthe case of being accessed from a private server to the credit cardcontract ROM 123, write information to the credit card contract ROM 123are transmitted to the control unit 120 from the server via a networksuch as the mobile packet communication network. The control unit 120,after ensuring the validity of the accessing server, writes the writeinformation into the credit card contract ROM 123. The control unit 120,when it detects any means other than the above that tries to access thecredit card contract ROM 123, carries out the disabling operation of themobile station 100 itself.

The program ROM 122 stores control programs. The CPU 121 reads out theseprograms and carries out various types of control processes. Thesecontrol programs include various programs described below as well asprograms for the calling function usually stored in a mobile station ofthe existing mobile communication system.

These control programs include a document data viewing software, knownas a browser. The CPU 121 reads out the browser from the program ROM 122to carry it out, which permits the acquiring of data in the HTML formfrom various information providing servers connected to the internetvia, for example, a gateway server 32 shown in the FIG. 4. This gatewayserver 32 is a computer system established at a mobile packet gatewayrelaying/switching center for interconnecting the mobile packetcommunication network 30 and other networks such as the Internet 70. Thegateway server 32 performs protocol conversion for performingcommunications among a plurality of networks, each of which uses adifferent protocol. The acquiring of HTML data by the mobile station 100is performed by transmitting an acquisition request specifying the URLof a resource to a server providing information via this gateway server32 and completed by storing in the RAM 124 the HTML data transmitted, inresponse to the request, from the server providing the information.

In addition, these control programs include a program for storing creditcard contract information in the credit card contract ROM 123. Thisprogram also reads out, makes changes, or deletes the credit cardcontract information stored in the credit card contract ROM 123.

The control programs further include a program for controlling themagnetic writer 150, thereby writing in or deleting from the magneticstripe 160 the credit card contract information read out from the creditcard contract ROM 123; and a program to transmit to a merchant's server80C, 80D, as will hereinafter be described, the credit card contractinformation that have been read out from the credit card contract ROM123.

The control programs also include a program for, when the mobile station100 is turned on, transmitting information that includes information tothe effect that the power is on and an identification number for themobile station 100 via a particular channel.

Also, as mentioned earlier, the control programs include a program, whenit detects any attempt to access the credit card contract ROM 123 by anunjustified means, for disabling the mobile station 100 itself.

The magnetic writer 150 writes credit card contract information givenfrom the control unit 120 into the magnetic stripe 160, or deletescredit card contract information from the magnetic stripe 160.

The magnetic stripe 160 is similar to magnetic stripes widely used forexisting credit cards. Therefore, credit card contract informationwritten in the magnetic stripe 160 is readable by a currentlywidely-used credit authentication terminal (CAT) for reading magneticstripes.

This magnetic stripe 160 is provided on a card made of plastic that isretractable in the mobile station 100, the magnetic card 161 in FIG. 3.This magnetic card 161 is retracted or protruded by the cardretracting/protruding key 131 established on the keypad of the mobilestation 100, or by a specified key operation using an existing keyboard(refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3). The magnetic card 161 is usually retractedinside the mobile station 100, but when doing shopping, the portion ofthe magnetic stripe 160 is protruded outside the mobile station 100. Theback side of this magnetic card 161 has a section for a user's signaturein the same way as existing credit cards.

The user interface 130 includes a liquid crystal display 132, a keypadby which users perform various input operations, and a microphone and aspeaker for users to hold conversations.

[1-2. Configuration of Credit Transaction System]

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the credittransaction system using a mobile station 100. This credit transactionsystem comprises the mobile station 100, a mobile telephone network 20,and a mobile packet communication network 30, CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . ,the Credit and Finance Information System (CAFIS) network 50, creditcard company's servers 60A, 60B, . . . , the Internet 70, and merchant'sservers 80C, 80D, . . . .

A user registered as credit card members carry the mobile station 100.The mobile station 100 is capable of connecting to the mobile telephonenetwork 20 and the mobile packet communication network 30.

The mobile telephone network 20 provides general calling services usingmobile stations, and the mobile station 100 receives the services overthis mobile telephone network 20. This mobile telephone network 20comprises many base stations 31 spaced out at a certain interval withincommunication areas, a switching unit for performing circuit-switching(not shown), a control unit 33 for controlling the inside of thenetwork, and communication cables (not shown).

This control unit 33 is equipped with a subscribers database 331 thatstores a variety of information relating to subscribers who use thecommunication services. The above-mentioned base stations 31, theswitching unit, the control unit 33, and communication cables are sharedby the mobile packet communication network 30.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data format of the subscriber database331. As shown in the figure, the subscriber database 331 stores varioustypes of information for each subscriber of the mobile telephone network20, that is, for each user of the mobile station 100, the informationincluding the phone number of the mobile station 100 owned by thesubscriber, his/her name, sex, date of birth as well as disablinginformation that orders the disabling the mobile station 100 and itscredit card function. A disablement flag is registered in a disablinginformation cell for a user with the mobile station 100 and its creditcard function are disabled.

As shown in the FIG. 4, the mobile packet communication network 30includes a gateway server 32 in addition to the above-mentioned basestation 31, switching unit (not shown), control unit 33, andcommunication cables.

The gateway server 32 performs the inter-conversion of a transmissionprotocol for the mobile packet communication network 30 and the TCP/IP,a standard communication protocol of the Internet 70. In addition, thegateway server 32 controls various types of message delivery processingsperformed among the mobile station 100, the credit card company's server60A, 60B, . . . , and the merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . .

FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the gateway server32. This gateway server 32 has a control unit 301, a subscriberinformation manager 302, and a data delivery manager 303.

The control unit 301 controls each of the sections of the gateway server32 and also functions as an interface among protocols such as to performprotocol conversion between the mobile packet communication network 30and another network such as the Internet 70.

The control unit 301 stores encryption algorithm such as Secure SocketsLayer (SSL). Performing communication with the credit card company'sserver 60A, 60B, . . . and the merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . usingthis encryption algorithm protects the communication.

The subscriber information manager 302 stores and manages a registeredsubscriber information file 304 that can be obtained referring to thesubscriber database 331 of the control unit 33. FIG. 6 is a diagramshowing a data format of the registered subscriber information file 304.As shown in the figure, the registered subscriber information file 304stores, for each subscriber of the mobile packet communication network30, that is, for each user of the mobile station 100, a variety of datasuch as the phone number of the mobile station 100 owned by thesubscriber, his/her name, sex, date of birth, the storage location ofdata and electronic-mail messages delivered to the user in the datadelivery manager 303, and a password pre-registered by the user.

The control unit 301 performs user authentication of a user of themobile station 100 that has accessed to the gateway server 32 in orderto use the specified service. The control unit 301 of the gateway server32 handles this user authentication by matching a password entered bythe user on the mobile station 100 and the password within theregistered subscriber information file 304.

The data delivery manager 303 relays the delivering of electronic-mailmessages and various data among users of two or more mobile station 100;between a user of the mobile station 100 and a user of another networksuch as the Internet 70; between a user of the mobile station 100 and acredit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . . ; and between a user of themobile station 100 and a merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . .

To illustrate, the data delivery manager 303 receives a communicationrequest including the destination and the content of a communicationfrom a mobile station 100 or a credit card company's server 60A, 60B, .. . , and transmits the contents to the destination. Alternatively, thedata delivery manager 303, after receiving the communication request,once stores the received contents, and makes a notification to theeffect that the contents have been stored, to the terminal of therequested destination (for example, the mobile station 100).Subsequently, upon receiving the request for obtaining the contents, thedata delivery manager 303 transmits the stored contents to the terminal.For this purpose, the data delivery manager 303 has a memory (not shown)inside for storing the communication contents temporarily.

This memory stores a variety of service information to be transmitted tothe mobile station 100 and displayed as a menu on the liquid crystaldisplay 132 of the mobile station 100. The service information are datain the HTML format, data for each service item including the URL of aserver which carries out each service.

This memory also stores information on merchants where credit cardpurchases can be made over the mobile packet communication network 30.The merchants information are also data in the HTML format, and data foreach merchant includes the URL of the server of each merchant. Thismerchants information are transmitted to the mobile station 100 anddisplayed on the liquid crystal display 132 of the mobile station 100.

When a user requests a particular service using the mobile station 100,the mobile station 100 transmits a URL that is included in data for theservice item to the gateway server 32, and the gateway server 32, basedon the URL received, makes an access to the server which implements theservice. When a user makes a purchase with a credit card at a certainmerchant via the mobile packet communication network 30, a URL writtenin the HTML data format is used as well.

A number of CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . shown in FIG. 4 are established atmerchants and cash dispenser (CD)s. The CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . areequipped with a magnetic reader (not shown) and capable of reading thecredit card information recorded on the magnetic stripe 160 of themobile station 100. The CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . are also equipped with aninput interface (not shown), and through this input interfacesalespersons in the shop can enter a certain information item such asthe amount of purchase. The CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . are connected to aprivate network, the CAFIS network 50, to which the credit card contractinformation read from the magnetic stripe 160 and information such asthe amount of transaction, transaction date, and merchant with regard tothe credit card purchase are transmitted. These information given fromthe CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . to the CAFIS network 50 will be referred toas credit information hereinafter.

The CAFIS network 50 is formed by connecting a number of CATs 40 a, 40b, . . . and credit card company's servers 60A, 60B, . . . . This CAFISnetwork 50 is a nationwide network that connects credit card companies,distribution companies, and financial institutions, the CAFIS controlcenter (not shown) centralizing the network.

This CAFIS network 50 transmits various credit information that resultfrom such actions as shopping and cash advance with credit card by auser, to one of the credit card company's servers 60A, 60B, . . . whichprovides a contract. It also transmits information on approval or denialof the credit card use from the one of the credit card company's servers60A, 60B, . . . to one of the CATs 40 a, 40 b, . . . .

The server 60A, 60B, . . . is established at each credit card company,and connected to the CAFIS network 50 and the Internet 70. This creditcard company's server 60A, 60B, . . . comprises a member database 61A,61B, . . . for storing such information as member profiles and creditcard contract information, and a credit database 62A, 62B, . . . forstoring members' credit histories and payment settlement information.

FIG. 7 shows a data format of the member database 61A, 61B, . . . , andFIG. 8 shows a data format of the credit database 62A, 62B, . . . .

As shown in FIG. 7, the member database 61A, 61B, . . . stores memberprofiles such as each user's name, age, address, phone number,employment, and annual income, and credit card contract informationrelating to each credit card contract such as card number, expirationdate, and credit limit. These member profiles information are reportedby users at the time of signing up contracts, and changed anytime whenchanges are reported from the users. Further, these credit card contractinformation are information granted to each of the contracts by a creditcard company once the credit card membership is approved, and part ofthe information is updated every time the expiration date comes.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, the credit database 62A, 62B, . . .stores credit history such as transaction dates of credit purchases andcash advances, merchants, and amount of transactions, and creditsettlement information such as amount paid for each billing cycle. Thiscredit history (the transaction dates, merchants, and amount oftransactions) are information transmitted from the CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . .and the merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . to the credit card company'sserver 60A, 6DB, . . . . Then, the credit card company's server 60A,60B, . . . totals amount of payment for each billing cycle based on theinformation on dates and amounts of transactions, and stores the totaledamount as credit settlement information.

The main functions of the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . .are 1) the processing of credit card contracts (including admission,renewal, changes, and cancellation), 2) the determination on approval ordenial of credit card contracts and purchases, 3) the accumulation ofvarious information on credit card contracts and credit cardtransactions, 4) the settlement amounts on credit-card transactions, and5) the provision of various information for members, each of which willbe described below in detail.

First of all, the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . .pre-stores an entry screen to be transmitted to the mobile station 100for signing up a credit card contract and a change screen to betransmitted to the mobile station 100 for making changes in contracts;upon receiving a credit card contract request, an entry screencorresponding to the request is provided to the mobile station 100through the Internet 70 and the gateway server 32.

Furthermore, the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . . createsand stores a prospective contract-renewal members file 601A, 601B, . . .. This prospective contract-renewal members file 601A, 601B, . . .stores information on members whose contract renewal is approaching.

FIG. 9 shows a data format for the prospective contract-renewal membersfile 601A, 601B, . . . . As shown in this figure, the prospectivecontract-renewal members file 601A, 601B, . . . stores data such as eachmember's name, credit number, phone number, and date of expiration. Thecredit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . refers to the expiration datesof credit card contracts stored for each member in the member database61A in a certain cycle (for example, every 24 hours) to extract userswhose contracts are about to expire (for example, within one week) andobtains information on the extracted users from the member database 61A,61B, . . . to be stored in the prospective contract-renewal members file601A, 601B, . . . .

The second function of the credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . isthe determination as to approval or denial of credit-card contracts ortransactions. The credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . pre-storescriteria for examining approval or denial of credit card contracts,receives from the mobile station 100 the contents entered by the useraccording to the entry screen for sign-up, and examines whether or notthe credit card contract can be approved based on the entered contentsand examination criteria. As a result of the examination, if the creditcard contract is approved, credit card contract information to be storedin the magnetic stripe 160 of the mobile station 100 is generated andgiven to the mobile station 100.

In addition, when a user performs shopping with a credit card, thiscredit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . decides whether or not theshopping with the credit card taking place is valid by using creditinformation given from the CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . (or from the merchant'sserver 80C, 80D, . . . ) and various information stored in the memberdatabase, 61A, 61B, . . . ; and transmits the results thereof to the CAT40 a, 40 b, . . . (or the merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . ) as creditapproval or denial information.

Thirdly, the credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . stores userprofiles and credit card contract information relating to the contractin the member database 61A, 61B, . . . , and data such as credit cardpurchases that have taken place are stored in the credit database 62A,62B, . . . .

Fourthly, the credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . , via the CAFISnetwork 50, notifies credit payment information to a financialinstitution having a credit payment transfer account and performs atransfer of the credit payment.

Finally, the credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . obtains informationdesired by a user from among the information stored in the memberdatabase 61A, 61B, . . . and the credit database 62A, 62B, . . . , andprovides the mobile station 100 with them through the Internet 70 andthe mobile packet communication network 30.

This credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . stores an encryptedtransmission algorithm such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), and handlescommunication thereby with the gateway server 32 and the merchant'sserver 80C, 80D, . . . , thereby protecting the contents oftransmission.

The merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . in FIG. 4 is a server whichprovides so called virtual shops that permit users to shop online. Themerchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . stores shopping screens to bedisplayed on the mobile station 100 as data in the HTML format. Theshopping screen data include information related with commercialproducts sold to the user such as the name of the products, productdescriptions, and prices.

The merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . receives a credit card shoppingrequest from a user of the mobile station 100, provides a shoppingscreen thereto, and handles the processing related to the credit cardshopping in cooperation with one of the credit company's server 60A,60B, . . . which performs a payment settlement for the credit cardshopping.

This merchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . stores an encrypted transmissionalgorithm such as SSL, and handles communication thereby with thegateway server 32 and the credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . ,thereby protecting the contents of transmission.

[2. Operation]

Next, operations of the present embodiment will be described below,classified into the following operational modes.

-   -   1. Signing up for a credit card contract    -   2-a. Shopping with credit card over the counter    -   2-b. Shopping with credit card through the mobile packet        communication network 30    -   3. Renewing a credit card contract    -   4. Making changes in registered member information    -   5. Canceling a credit card contract    -   6. Disabling a mobile station 100 and its credit function    -   7. Inquiring one's own credit history        [2-1. Signing Up for Credit Card Contract]

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 12A, and FIG. 12B are flow charts showing anoperation when a user signs up for a credit card contract with a mobilestation 100.

FIGS. 13A to 13J are diagrams of screen images displayed on the liquidcrystal display 132 of the mobile station 100, and shown chronologicallycorresponding to the operation indicated in FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG.12A, and FIG. 12B.

The operation in signing up for a credit card contract will be describedhereinafter in reference to FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 12A, and FIG. 12B.

Firstly, in step SP101, a user initiates a call to the gateway server 32at a predetermined phone number and requests the start of acommunication in the packet communication mode.

In step SP 102, the gateway server 32, upon receiving the packetcommunication mode starting request, starts communication in the packetcommunication mode with the user at the other end, and transmits to themobile station 100 service menu screen data stored within itself.

In step SP 103, the mobile station 100 receives the service menu screendata and displays the service menu on the liquid crystal display 132.FIG. 13A is a diagram of a screen image displayed on the mobile station100 at this time.

In step SP 104, the user selects by a key operation a desired servicefrom among the displayed service menu items. In this case, on the screenindicated in FIG. 13A, the user moves a cursor on the “credit” to selectit. Then, the mobile station 100 transmits to the gateway server 32 theselected service request, in this case, the “credit.”

In step SP105, the gateway server 32, in response to the receivedservice request, transmits to the mobile station 100 service menu screendata designating more detailed contents of the service, in this example,detailed contents regarding the “credit.”

In step SP106, the mobile station 100 receives the detailed service menuscreen data and displays the service menu on the liquid crystal display132. FIG. 13B is a diagram of a screen image displayed on the mobilestation 100 at this time.

In step SP107, the user selects by a key operation a desired servicefrom among the displayed detailed service menu items. In this case, onthe screen indicated in FIG. 13B, the user moves a cursor on the “creditcard contract” to select it. Then, the mobile station 100 transmits tothe gateway server 32 the selected detailed service request, in thiscase, “credit card contract.”

The above-mentioned service menu screen data are transmitted to themobile station 100 multiple times until the user finally specifies adesired service.

In step SP108, the gateway server 32 receives the detailed servicerequest and transmits, to the mobile station 100, password entry screendata for the user to enter a password.

In step SP109, the mobile station 100 receives the password entry screendata, and a password entry screen is displayed on the liquid crystaldisplay 132. The user enters a password pre-registered in the gatewayserver 32 in the password entering section of the password entry screen.

FIG. 13C is a diagram of the password entry screen displayed on themobile station 100 at this time. The user enters the password in thepassword entering section and moves a cursor to select “enter”.

In step SP111, the mobile station 100 transmits the password informationentered by the user to the gateway server 32. In step SP113, the gatewayserver 32 receives the password information.

In step SP 115, the gateway server 32 performs user authentication bymatching the password received from the mobile station 100 and thepassword of the mobile station 100 stored in the subscriber informationmanager 302.

In step SP117, based on a result of the user authentication, it isdetermined whether the user is valid or not. When it is approved as avalid user by the determination in step SP117, the routine advances tostep SP119, and the gateway server 32, in response to a final servicerequest from the user (a credit card contract request), transmits to themobile station 100 next screen information to be displayed on the mobilestation 100.

On the other hand, if it is not approved as a valid user by thedetermination in step SP117, the routine proceeds to step SP121, and thegateway server 32 transmits to the mobile station 100 a service denialnotification indicating that the credit card contract request from theuser cannot be accepted.

Then, in step SP123, the mobile station 100 receives the informationtransmitted from the gateway server 32. Subsequently in FIG. 12A, instep SP125, a next screen received by the mobile station 100 isdisplayed on the liquid crystal display 132. In this case, a list ofnames of credit card companies for which the user can sign up isdisplayed on the liquid crystal display 132.

FIG. 13D is a diagram of the screen displayed on the mobile station 100at this time. In the case of receiving the service denial notification,the mobile station 100 displays the notification on its liquid crystaldisplay 132 (not shown), and the procedure ends.

In step SP126, the user selects by a key operation a desired credit cardcompany from among the displayed credit card companies. In other words,the user moves a cursor on a desired credit card company on the screenshown in FIG. 13D to select “enter.” It is assumed herein that thecredit card company A has been selected as an example.

In step SP127, the mobile station 100 transmits to the gateway server 32the name of the selected credit card company (company A) and the URL ofthe server 60A thereof.

In step SP129, the gateway server 32 receives the name of the creditcard company (company A) and its URL, and transmits a credit cardcontract request to the credit card company's server 60A based on thereceived URL.

The gateway server 32 at this time protects by SSL the contents to betransmitted to the credit card company's server 60A. Also in thefollowing description of operations, the contents of communications areprotected by SSL when communications are performed among the gatewayserver 32, the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . . , and themerchant's server 80C, 80D, . . . .

In step SP131, the credit card company's server 60A receives the creditcard contract request from the gateway server 32.

In step SP133, the credit card company's server 60A sends entry screendata for prompting the user to enter information (e.g. his/hername, age,date of birth, address, phone number, employment, annual income,password, etc.) that are needed for the credit card contract with thecompany A, out to the Internet 70 addressed to the mobile station 100.

In step SP135, the gateway server 32 receives the entry screen data fromthe credit card company's server 60A and send it to the mobile station100.

In step SP 137, the mobile station 100 receives the entry screen datafrom the gateway server 32 and displays an entry screen on its liquidcrystal display 132.

FIG. 13E is a diagram of the screen displayed on the mobile station 100at this time.

In step SP139, the user enters the necessary information while referringto the entry screen displayed on the liquid crystal display 132. Theentry screen is shown in FIG. 13E. The user has to enter various itemssuch as his/her phone number and employment in addition to those shownin the figure such as his/her name, date of birth, and address; the userscrolls down the screen, thereby enabling these other items beingdisplayed in sequence on the liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP 141, the mobile station 100 transmits the entered contents(hereinafter referred to as input information), to the gateway server32. In step SP143, the gateway server 32 receives the input informationand transmit them to the credit card company's server 60A. Along withthem, in step SP145, the gateway server 32 transmits the inputinformation to the credit card company's server 60A and a notificationof credit card contract application receive completion to the mobilestation 100.

Then in step SP147, the mobile station 100 receives the receivecompletion notification from the gateway server 32 and display it on theliquid crystal display 132, thereby notifying the user. FIG. 13F is adiagram of the receive completion notification screen displayed on themobile station 100 at this time.

On the other hand, in step SP149, the credit card company's server 60Areceives the input information from the gateway server 32. In stepSP151, the credit card company's server 60A determines whether toapprove or deny the credit card contract with regard to the receivedinput information by referring to the examination criteria stored withinitself.

In step SP153, if the contract is denied as a result of the examinationby the server 60A, the company A's server 60A proceeds to step SP155 andsends out to the Internet 70 a contract denial notification addressed tothe mobile station 100.

If the contact is approved as a result of the determination in stepSP153, the procedure of the company A's server 60A advances to stepSP157 for generating new credit card contract information and sends outto the Internet 70 a contract approval notification and the generatedcredit card contract information addressed to the mobile station 100.

Then, in step SP159, the credit card company's server 60A stores in themember database 61A user profiles and credit card contract informationwith regard to this contract.

In step SP161, the gateway server 32 receives the contract denialnotification or the contract approval notification and credit cardcontract information from the credit card company's server 60A, and oncestores those information inside.

In step SP163, the gateway server 32 pages the mobile station 100 andtransmits a notification indicating that it has received informationaddressed to the mobile station 100 from the credit card company'sserver 60A.

In step SP165, the mobile station 100 receives an information receivenotification from the gateway server 32 and displays it on the liquidcrystal display 132, thereby notifying the user. FIG. 13G is a diagramof the screen displayed on the mobile station 100 at this time.

Then, in step SP167, by a key operation by the user who has seen thedisplay, the mobile station 100 transmits to the gateway server 32 aninformation acquiring request to request the acquiring of theinformation stored therein. In other words, the user selects “refer to”on the display shown in FIG. 13G, by which the information acquiringrequest is transmitted from the mobile station 100 to the gateway server32.

In step SP169, the gateway server 32 receives the information acquiringrequest from the mobile station 100, and in response thereto, transmitsto the mobile station 100 the contract denial notification, or thecontract approval notification and the credit card contract information.

In step SP171, the mobile station 100, receives the contract denialnotification, or the contract approval notification and the credit cardcontract information from the gateway server 32.

In step SP173, the mobile station 100 displays the received contents onits liquid crystal display 132. The mobile station 100, when it hasreceived the credit card contract approval notification and the creditcard contract information, stores the received credit card contractinformation in the credit card contract ROM 123.

FIG. 13H is a diagram of the screen showing the notification of creditcard contract denial.

FIG. 13I, on the other hand, is a diagram of the screen showing thenotification of credit card contract approval. The user selects “next”on this screen, which in turn changes to the next screen (FIG. 13I).FIG. 13J is a screen for confirming the contents of the credit cardcontract.

As shown in FIG. 13J, on this screen, such information are displayed as“credit number” and “expiration date.”

The screen information shown in FIG. 13J are stored in the credit cardcontract ROM 123, which can be displayed on the liquid crystal display132 by a specific operation by the user, thereby enabling the user toconfirm the contents of the credit card contract.

As described so far, the mobile station 100 owned by a user and thecredit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . . owned by a credit cardcompany conducts the processing for a credit card contract by wirelesscommunication means, thereby enabling the quick execution of theprocessing; specifically, the application for a credit card contractfrom a user to a credit card company; the notification of approval ordenial of the credit; and the provision of credit card contractinformation from the credit card company to the user.

The above-mentioned operation shown in step SP101 to step SP123 in FIG.11A and FIG. 11B is the operation mainly from the packet communicationrequest to the user authentication, which is performed in common in thefirst half sequence of each of the operations in using the credit overthe mobile communication network, making changes in registered memberinformation, canceling a credit card contract, and inquiring a credithistory, as well as the above-mentioned operation of signing up a creditcard contract.

[2-2. Operation in Shopping with Credit Card]

Next, an operation in shopping with credit card using a mobile station100 will be described.

There are two embodiments in the credit card shopping with the mobilestation 100.

They are a) an embodiment wherein credit card contract information onthe magnetic stripe 160 are given to the credit card company's server 60through a CAT 40 at the shop; and b) the other embodiment wherein creditcard contract information stored in the credit card contract ROM 123 aregiven to the credit card company's server 60 through the mobile packetcommunication network 30, which will be described separatelyhereinafter.

[2-2-a. Operation in Over-the-Counter Shopping with Credit Card]

FIG. 14A and FIG. 14B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing theoperation of the mobile station 100 and the credit transaction system inthe embodiment of using the magnetic stripe 160 at the shop.

First, by a predetermined operation by a user, the processing of theover-the-counter credit shopping begins at the mobile station 100.

In step SP201, the control unit 120 of the mobile station 100 reads outall the credit card contract information stored in the credit cardcontract ROM 123 to display their company names on the liquid crystaldisplay 132.

In step SP203, the user selects a desired credit card company by a keyoperation from among the displayed credit card companies. It is assumedherein that the credit card contract with credit card company A has beenselected.

On the other hand, if the number of contracted credit card companies isjust one, the user may enter “OK” on the displayed credit card company.

In step SP205, the control unit 120 of the mobile station 100 gives thecredit card contract information of the selected company A to themagnetic writer 150, which in turn writes the given information onto themagnetic stripe 160.

After the credit card contract information are written on the magneticstripe 160, the magnetic card 161 becomes a protrudable state, and thecontrol unit 120 displays the fact of being protrudable on the liquidcrystal display 132. Then in step SP207, the user, having confirmed theprotrudable state, pushes the card-retracting/protruding key of themobile station 100, thereby protruding the magnetic stripe 160 portionof the magnetic card 161 out of the mobile station 100.

In step SP209, a salesperson slides the magnetic stripe 160 portion ofthe magnetic card 161 through a magnetic reader of a CAT (assumed hereinas a CAT 40 b), which in turn the credit card contract information onthe magnetic stripe 160 is read into the CAT 40 b.

In step SP211, the salesperson enters sales amount for the credit cardshopping into an input interface (not shown) of the CAT 40 b.

In step SP213, the CAT 40 b, through the CAFIS network 50, transmits tothe company A's server 60A credit information including the credit cardcontract information as well as the entered contents into the CAT 40 b.

In step SP215, the credit card company's server 60A receives the creditinformation from the CAT 40 b.

In step SP217, the credit card company's server 60A searches in themember database 61A based on the received credit information, anddetermines whether or not the requested shopping with the credit card isvalid. This determination is to see if the credit card is not expired,if the credit limit is not over, if the magnetic stripe on the backsideis not disabled, or if the credit card contract itself has no effect.

When it is determined as invalid as a result of the determination instep SP217, the processing by the company A's server 60A advances tostep SP219 and transmits to the CAT 40 b through the CAFIS network 50 anotification that the requested credit transaction has been denied (anda reason for the credit denial, if necessary).

On the other hand, when it is determined as valid as a result of thedetermination in step SP217, the processing by the company A's server60A advances to step SP221, transmits to the CAT 40 b a notificationthat the requested credit transaction has been approved; further in stepSP223, stores the credit record and payment information with regard tothis credit card shopping transaction within the credit database 62A.

In step SP225, the CAT 40 b receives the above notification from thecredit card company's server 60A.

Then in step SP227, the CAT 40 b outputs the received notification ontoa credit sales slip or a CAT display device (not shown). The salespersonperforms a predetermined procedure following the displayed contents.After that, the user writes a signature identical to that on thebackside of the magnetic card 161 in the signature section of the creditsales slip with the sales amount written, thereby ending the credit cardshopping transaction.

At the time of completing the reading of the credit card contractinformation on the magnetic stripe 160, the user pushes the cardretracting/protruding key of the mobile station 100, and in step SP229,the magnetic card 161 is retracted inside the slot 101 of the mobilestation 100.

After the magnetic card is retracted, in step SP231, the control unit120 of the mobile station 100 orders the magnetic writer 150 to deletethe credit card contract information of the company A stored on themagnetic stripe 160, and the magnetic writer 150 executes that.

[2-2-b. Operation in Credit Card Shopping with the Mobile PacketCommunication Network]

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 15A, and FIG. 15B cooperate to form a flowdiagram showing the operation for shopping with a credit card using themobile station 100.

The operation shown in FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B is almost same as thesign-up for a credit card contract, but in step SP107 of FIG. 11A, auser should select “credit card shopping” as a desired service.Description for the rest of operation in FIG. 11 shall be omitted.

In step SP301 of FIG. 15A, all the merchants where the shopping withcredit cards can be made by a user are displayed on the liquid crystaldisplay 132.

In step SP303, a user selects by a key operation a desired merchant fromamong the displayed merchants. It is assumed herein that the merchant Chas been selected.

In step SP305, the mobile station 100 transmits the selected merchant'sname (store C) and the URL of the merchant's server 80C to the gatewayserver 32.

In step SP307, the gateway server 32 receives the merchant's name (storeC) and the URL, and based on the received URL, transmits a credit cardshopping request to the merchant's server 80C.

In step SP309, the merchant's server 80C receives the credit cardshopping request from the gateway server 32.

In step SP311, the merchant's server 80C, in response to the receivedcredit card shopping request, transmits shopping screen data stored initself out to the Internet 70 addressed to the mobile station 100.

In step SP313, the gateway server 32 receives the shopping screen datafrom the merchant's server 80C and transmits to the mobile station 100.

In step SP315, the mobile station 100 receives the shopping screen datafrom the gateway server 32, and a shopping screen is displayed on theliquid crystal display 132.

In step SP317, the user selects a product to purchase referring to theshopping screen displayed on the liquid crystal display 132.

When the selecting of a product is completed, the mobile station 100reads out all the credit card contract information stored in the creditcard contract ROM 123, and the names of credit companies thereof aredisplayed on the liquid crystal display 132. Then in step SP319, fromamong the displayed credit card companies, the user selects a creditcard company to be used in this credit card shopping. It is assumedherein that the credit card company B has been selected.

In step SP321, the mobile station 100 transmits information on theselected product and its price, credit card contract information withthe company B, the URL of the merchant's server 80C, and the URL of thecredit company's server 60B to the gateway server 32.

In step SP323, the gateway server 32 receives these information from themobile station 100 and, after seeing its contents, transmits theinformation to the merchant's server 80C.

In step SP325, the merchant's server 80C receives the input informationfrom the gateway server 32. Then, the merchant's server 80C, among thereceived information, transmits the credit card contract information andsales amount information to the credit company's server 60B.

In step SP327, the credit company's server 60B receives these creditinformation from the merchant's server 80C. In step SP329, the creditcompany's server 60B retrieves the received credit information in themember database 61B and determines whether the requested credit cardshopping is valid or not.

This determination is to check items such as if the credit card contractis not expired; if the credit limit is not exceeded; if the magneticcard is not disabled; or if the credit card contract itself has noeffect.

As a result of the determination in step SP329, when it is determined asinvalid, the routine advances to step SP331, and the credit company'sserver 60B transmits a notification indicating the denial of therequested credit card shopping to the merchant's server 80C.

On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step SP329, whenit is determined as valid, the process of the credit card company'sserver 60B advances to step SP333, transmits a credit approvalnotification to the merchant's server 80C, and further stores the credithistory and payment information in the credit database 62B in stepSP335.

In step SP337, the merchant's server 80C receives the notification fromthe credit card company's server 60B. Then in step SP339, the merchant'sserver 80C transmits the received notification to the gateway server 32addressed to the mobile station 100. If the notification is a creditapproval notification, the merchant's server 80C stores the productselected by the user as credit card sales information and performs apredetermined processing such as sending the product to the user.

In step SP341, the gateway server 32 receives the notification from themerchant's server 80C and transmits to the mobile station 100.

In step SP343, the mobile station 100 receives the notification from thegateway server 32 and displays the received contents on the liquidcrystal display 132, thereby notifying the user.

[2-3. Operation in Renewing the Credit Card Contract]

Next, the operation in renewing a credit card contract will bedescribed.

FIG. 16A and FIG. 16B cooperate to form a flow diagram showing theoperational flow in renewing a credit card contract.

In step SP401, the credit card company's server (herein assumed as 60A)creates the prospective contract-renewal members file 601 referring tothe member database 60A. In step SP403, the credit card company's server60A transmits, referring to the prospective contract-renewal membersfile 601, a contract renewal advance notification to notify the renewalof the credit card contract in advance, out to the Internet 70,addressed to a mobile station (herein assumed as the mobile station 100)of the user with prospective contract renewal.

In step SP405, the gateway server 32, upon receiving the contractrenewal advance notification, pages the mobile station 100 to redirectthe above notification.

In step SP407, the mobile station 100 receives the contract renewaladvance notification from the gateway server 32 and displays thereceived notification on its liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP409, the mobile station 100, by a key operation by the user,transmits response information in response to the displayed contractrenewal advance notification. The response information designates either“will renew” or “will not renew” with regard to the contract renewal.

In step SP411, the gateway server 32 receives the response informationfrom the mobile station 100 and transmits to the credit card company'sserver 60A.

In step SP413, the credit card company's server 60A receives theresponse information from the gateway server 32.

In step SP415, the credit card company's server 60A, based on thereceived response information, determines whether or not the credit cardcontract with the user of the mobile station 100 can be renewed.

As a result of the determination in step SP415, if the contract isrenewable, the routine advances to step SP417, and the credit company'sserver 60A generates renewed credit card contract information, the newcredit card contract information being sent out to the Internet 70addressed to the mobile station 100 as well as being stored in themember database 60A.

As a result of the determination of step SP415, if the contract is notrenewable, the routine advances to step SP421, and the credit cardcompany's server 60A deletes information on the user whose contractcannot be extended, the information being stored in the member database61A. Then in step SP423, the credit card company's server 60A sends anotification designating that the contract cannot be renewed, out to theInternet 70, addressed to the mobile station 100.

Then in step SP425, the gateway server 32 receives from the credit cardcompany's server 60A the renewed credit card contract information or thecontract non-renewal notification and stores them for the time being.

Then in step SP427, the gateway server 32 pages the mobile station 100and transmits a notification designating that information addressed tothe mobile station 100 from the credit card company's server 60A havebeen received.

In step SP429, the mobile station 100 receives the information receivenotification data from the gateway server 32 and displays them on itsliquid crystal display 132, thereby notifying the user.

In step SP431, by a key operation by the user who has seen the display,the mobile station 100 transmits to the gateway server 32 a request forrequesting to obtain the information stored therein.

In step SP433, the gateway server 32 receives the information obtainingrequest from the mobile station 100, in response to which, the gatewayserver 32 transmits the after-renewed credit card contract informationor the contract non-renewal notification stored therein to the mobilestation 100.

In step SP435, the mobile station 100 receives the renewed credit cardcontract information or the no-contract-renewal notification data fromthe gateway server 32 and displays them on its liquid crystal display132.

In step SP437, the mobile station 100, when it has received the renewedcredit card contract information, updates information such as anexpiration date. Alternatively, when it has received the effect ofno-contract-renewal, the credit card contract information stored in thecredit card contract ROM 123 is deleted after the expiration of a termof validity.

If the user does not respond to the credit card contract advancenotification given to the mobile station 100 even after the expirationdate, it is regarded that the user has responded “YES” to the contractrenewal; the credit card company server 60A transmits credit cardcontract information renewed at the time of the expiration to the mobilestation 100 via the gateway server, and the mobile station 100 updatesinformation such as an expiration date.

[2-4. Operation in Changing the Registered Member Information]

Also in the case of changing member's name and address, it is possibleto make these changes using a mobile station 100. An operation in makingchanges in a credit card contract will be described hereinafter.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, FIG. 17A, and FIG. 17B cooperate to form a flowdiagram showing the operation, using the mobile station 100, in a creditcard contract.

The operation shown in FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B is almost same as thesign-up of a credit card contract, but in step SP107 of FIG. 11A, a usershould select “change in registered member information” as a desiredservice. Description for the rest of the operation will be omitted.

In step SP501 of FIG. 17A, all the credit card companies with which theuser is under contract are displayed on the liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP503, the user selects by a key operation a desired credit cardcompany from among the displayed credit card companies. Here, it is alsopossible to select all the credit card companies. It is assumed herethat the credit card company A has been selected.

In step SP505, the mobile station 100 transmits the name of the selectedcredit card company to the gateway server 32.

In step SP509, the gateway server 32 receives the name of the creditcard company from the mobile station 100 and transmits a request formaking changes in the registered member information toward the creditcard company's server 60A.

In step SP511, the credit card company's server 60A receives the requestfor making changes in the registered member information.

In step SP513, the credit card company's server 60A sends change screeninformation of the credit card contract of the company A out to theInternet 70 addressed to the mobile station 100.

In step SP515, the gateway server 32 receives the change screeninformation from the credit card company's server 60A via the Internetand transmits the received screen information addressed to the mobilestation 100.

In step SP517, the mobile station 100 receives the change screeninformation from the gateway server 32 and displays a change screen onthe liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP519, the user enters items to change referring to the changescreen displayed on the liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP521, the mobile station 100 transmits the entered change itemsto the gateway server 32.

In step SP523, the gateway server 32 receives the changed items andtransmit them to the credit card company's server 60A.

In step SP525, the credit card company's server 60A receives the changeditems.

In step SP527, the credit card company's server 60A changes userprofiles and attributes associated with the credit card contract storedin itself, based on the received changed items.

Once the changing processing is complete, the credit card company'sserver 60A advances to step SP529 and sends a notification to designatethe completion of change-in-contract processing out to the Internet 70addressed to the mobile station 100.

In step SP531, the gateway server 32 receives via the Internet 70 thenotification of completion to be transmitted to the mobile station 100.

In step SP533, the mobile station 100 receives the notification ofcompletion from the gateway server 32, and in step SP535, the mobilestation 100 displays the received notification of completion on itsliquid crystal display 132.

[2-5. Operation in Canceling a Credit Card Contract]

It is possible to use this system also in the processing for canceling acredit card contract. An operation in a credit card contract using amobile station 100 will be described hereinafter.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 18 cooperate to form a flow diagram showingthe operation of the case where a user cancels a credit card contractusing the mobile station 100.

The operation shown in FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B is almost same as thesign-up for a credit card contract, but in step SP107 of FIG. 11A, auser should select “cancel a credit card contract” as a desired service.Description for the rest of the operation shall be omitted.

In step SP601 in FIG. 18, all the credit companies with which the useris under contract are displayed on the liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP603, the user selects, from among the displayed credit cardcompanies, a desired credit card company by a key operation. It isassumed here that the credit card company A has been selected.

In step SP605, the mobile station 100 transmits the name of the selectedcredit card company to the gateway server 32.

In step SP607, the gateway server 32 receives the name of credit cardcompany from the mobile station 100 and transmits to the credit cardcompany's server 60A a request for canceling the credit card contract.

In step SP609, the credit card company's server 60A receives the creditcard contract canceling request from the gateway server 32.

In step SP611, the credit card company's server 60A, based on thereceived credit card contract canceling request, performs the cancelingprocessing of the credit card contract such as deleting the user profileinformation and credit card contract attributes information stored inthe member database 61A.

In step SP613, the credit card company's server 60A sends out to theInternet 70 a notification that tells that the contract cancellationprocessing has been completed, addressed to the mobile station 100.

In step SP615, the gateway server 32 receives the notification ofcompletion through the Internet 70, and sends it to the mobile station100.

In step SP617, the mobile station 100 receives the notification ofcompletion from the gateway server 32.

In step SP619, the mobile station 100 displays the received notificationof completion on its liquid crystal display 132.

[2-6. Operation in Disabling the Communication and Credit Card Functionof Mobile Station 100]

In cases where a user has lost a mobile station 100 or had it stolen, itis necessary to disable the credit function in order to prevent a thirdperson from illegal use of the mobile station 100. An operation of themobile station 100 and the control unit in disabling the credit functionof the mobile station 100 will be described hereinafter.

FIG. 19 is a flow chart showing the flow of the process by the mobilestation 100 and the control unit of disabling the credit card functionof the mobile station 100.

A user who owns the mobile station 100, in the case of losing the mobilestation 100, makes a contact with a common carrier who manages themobile telephone network 20 and the mobile packet communication network30 by a predetermined method, and requests to disable the calling andcredit card function of the mobile station 100.

In step SP701, the communication carrier who has received the abovereport, by using a specified administrative terminal, makes an access toa memory that stores disabling information corresponding to the subjectmobile communication terminal, the subscriber database 331 of thecontrol unit 33 in the present embodiment, and registers a flag thatdesignates the disablement of communication service for the user and hiscredit card.

After this operation, the communication service by the mobile station100 of the subject user and its credit card function become disabled. Inthe concrete, the operation will be described hereinafter.

First in step SP703, a third person who has illegally gained the mobilestation 100 turns on the mobile station 100.

In step SP705, the mobile station 100 uses a particular channel andtransmits dispatch information including a notification that tells thatthe power is on and identification number that are identificationinformation for identifying the mobile station 100. The base stationthat includes the mobile station 100 in its control area (herein assumedas the base station 32) receives the dispatch information concerning thelocation of the mobile station 100, the dispatch information being sentto the control unit 33.

In step SP707, the control unit 33 receives the dispatch informationfrom the base station 32. Then in step SP709, the control unit 33 makesan access to the subscriber database 331 and determines presence orabsence of the disabling information of the calling and credit cardfunctions of the sender, the mobile station 100.

In step SP711, the control unit 33, which has determined that thedisabling information is present, transmits through the base station 32to the mobile station 100 disabling signals for suspending the callingand credit card functions of the mobile station 100 are to be disabled.

In step SP713, the mobile station 100 receives an instruction ofdisabling the calling and credit card functions through the base station31.

In step SP715, the mobile station 100 performs the process for disablingthe calling and credit card functions.

In the process for disabling the calling, the operation of each sectionwhich operates for the calling process of the mobile station 100 will bestopped, and the wireless communication function of the mobile station100 will be suspended. In the process for disabling the credit cardfunction, the credit card contract information stored in the credit cardcontract ROM 123 will be deleted, thereby inhibiting the use of cardinformation.

[2-7. Operation in Inquiring the Credit History]

Using a mobile station 100, a user can make an access to the credit cardcompany's server 60A, 60B, . . . to inquire various types of informationsuch as credit history and the amount of next payment charged to theuser's bank account.

FIG. 11A, FIG. 11B, and FIG. 20 cooperate to form a flow diagram showingan operation when a user inquires a credit history by using the mobilestation 100.

The operation shown in FIG. 11A and FIG. 11B is almost same as thesign-up for a credit card contract, but in step SP107 of FIG. 11A, auser should select “credit history” as a desired service. Descriptionfor the rest of the operation shall be omitted.

In step SP801 of FIG. 20, all the credit card companies with which theuser is under contract are shown on the liquid crystal display 132.

In step SP803, the user selects by a key operation a desired credit cardcompany from among the displayed credit card companies. It is assumedhere that the credit card company A has been selected.

In step SP805, the mobile station 100 transmits the name of the selectedcredit card company (company A) to the gateway server 32.

In step SP807, the gateway server 32 receives the name of the selectedcredit card (company A) from the mobile station 100 and transmits arequest for inquiring the credit history to the credit card company'sserver 60A.

In step SP809, the credit card company's server 60A receives the requestfor inquiring the credit history. In step SP811, the credit cardcompany's server 60A retrieves credit history information stored in thecredit database 62A.

In step SP813, the credit card company's server 60A transmits the credithistory information obtained as a result of the retrieval out to theInternet 70 addressed to the mobile station 100.

In step SP815, the gateway server 32 receives the credit historyinformation via the Internet 70 and transmits the information to themobile station 100.

In step SP817, the mobile station 100 receives the credit historyinformation from the gateway server 32. In step SP819, the mobilestation 100 displays the received credit history on its liquid crystaldisplay 132.

[B. Modifications]

[B-1. Modifications in Signing Up for a Credit Card Contract]

In the above-mentioned description, all steps of the operation insigning up for a credit card contract are performed in one callingsession, but it is not necessarily in this way. In other words, theoperation of requesting a credit card contract from the mobile station100 to the credit card company's server 60 (i.e. from step SP101 in FIG.11A to step SP149 in FIG. 12B) and the operation of responding from thecredit card company's server 60 to the mobile station 100 (i.e. fromstep SP151 to step SP173 in FIG. 12B) can be separated.

To illustrate, cases can be envisioned such that it takes a considerableamount of time in the examination process of credit card contracts andthat a partial or whole examination process being performed by otherinformation processing devices or a human agent, in which cases, it ispossible to once end the communication between the mobile station 100and the credit card companies' server 60, so that the credit cardcompanies' server 60 may notify the result of the examination to themobile station 100 at a later date.

Further, the processing at the credit card companies' server 60A, 60B, .. . in making a credit card contract may only be the processingassociated with the operation of requesting a credit card contract.

For example, the procedure may end in the step SP149 of FIG. 12B, whichis followed, in the case of the request for contract being denied, by anotification to that effect over a telephone to the user. Alternatively,in the case of the request being approved, a user is notified to thateffect over a telephone, so that he/she goes to the shop of the creditcard company to get one's credit card contract information written inthe mobile station 100 through an exclusive ROM reader/writer providedtherein.

[B-2. Modifications in Changing Registered Member Profiles]

Various changes for registered member profiles can be conceived such ascredit limit and card class, i.e. the change from a normal-class creditcard to a gold-class card, in addition to the above-mentioned changes inname and address. In such cases, in addition to the above-mentionedgroup of steps of the operation, it will be necessary to take a step ofexamination by a credit card company and a step of notification to themobile station 100 from the credit card company's server 60 of anapproved change or a refused change.

[B-3. Modifications in Disabling the Mobile Station 100 and Its CreditCard Function]

Various timings can be conceived for the mobile station 100 to transmitthe dispatch information, not being limited to the time when power isturned on.

For example, it can be envisioned such as the time when the mobilestation 100 requests a calling service or a packet communication serviceto the mobile communication network; and the time when the process forthe credit use of the mobile station 100 is started at the shop. Inother words, it may be set so that the mobile station 100 transmits theinformation, triggered by some kind of operation by a person who has themobile station 100. Alternatively, the mobile station 100 may transmitthe information at all times or regularly while the power is on.

Further, when the disabling information is registered at the controlunit 33, the control unit 33 may page the mobile station 100 relating tothe disablement to provide the mobile station 100 with the disablinginformation. Upon receiving the disabling information, the mobilestation 100 transmits a receive confirmation signal, and the controlunit 33 receives the receive confirmation signal, thereby confirmingthat the mobile station 100 has received the disabling information.

Further, the control unit 33, after detecting that there has been somekind of information transmitted from the mobile station 100, maytransmit through many base stations 32 the above-mentioned disablinginformation to each base station's control area at all times orregularly. Then, the mobile station 100 that has received thetransmitted disabling information may conduct the disabling of its owncredit card function.

It is also possible for the control unit 33 to possess the disablinginformation only for the calling function of the mobile station 100, tobe given to the mobile station 100. Then, the mobile station 100 thathas received the disablement-of-calling information may determine itscredit card function is also to be disabled, performing the disablingoperation of not only its calling but also credit card function.

[B-4. Modifications in the Configurations of the Gateway Server 32,Credit Card Company's Sever 60, and Merchant's Server 80]

The credit company's server 60A, 60B, . . . and the merchant's server 80may be connected to, aside from the Internet 70, the gateway server 32through a private line, or may be provided inside the mobilecommunication network.

[B-5. Modifications in the Roles of the Gateway Server 32, Credit CardCompany's Sever 60, and Merchant's Server 80]

The functions of the gateway server 32, the credit company's server 60and the merchant's server 80, are not limited to the above-mentionedembodiments, but various embodiments can be conceived. For example, apart of functions of the merchant's server 80 and the credit company'sserver 60 can be carried out by the gateway server 32.

In the first embodiment, the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . .. stores entry screen information and change screen information used formaking a credit card contract or changes, but the gateway server 32instead can store those screen information. As a result, when a requestfor contract or changes in contract is transmitted from the mobilestation 100 to the gateway server 32, the gateway server 32 does notneed to access the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . . toprovide entry screen information with the mobile station 100.

Further, the gateway server 32, instead of the credit card company'sserver 60A, 60B, . . . , may conduct an examination for determiningapproval or denial of credit card contracts. In order to do this, thegateway server 32 stores criteria for determining contract approval ordenial that are provided in advance from each of the credit cardcompany's servers 60A, 60B, . . . , so as to conduct examinations basedon these criteria.

Further, the gateway server 32 may store the prospectivecontract-renewal members file 601. In this case, the gateway server 32is provided prospective contract-renewal members files 601 from thecredit card company's servers 60A, 60B, . . . , and based on the givenprospective contract-renewal members file 601, further process with themobile station 100 is carried out.

Also, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the gateway server 32 oncestores information from the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . .(i.e. credit card contract information and other notifications), andtransmits information receive notifications to the mobile station 100.Then, in the case of receiving a request for obtaining credit cardcontract information from the mobile station 100, the gateway server 32gives the credit card contract information to the mobile station 100.

However, it is not limited thereto. For example, when the gateway server32 receives some kind of information addressed to the mobile station 100from the credit card company's server 60A, 60B, . . . , it is possibleto give the information to the mobile station 100 without giving anyprior notification to the mobile station 100, or the informationtogether with some kind of notification. In this case, when the mobilestation 100 receives the information from the gateway server 32, ittransmits a receive confirmation signal, so that the gateway server 32confirms that the mobile station 100 has received the information byreceiving the reception confirmation signal.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment for the credit card shoppingthrough the mobile packet communication network 30, all the inputinformation transmitted from the mobile station 100 are received by themerchant's server 80 through the gateway server 32, and the merchant'sserver 80 transmits credit card contract information andamount-of-transaction information among the input information to thecredit card company's server 60, but it is not limited thereto.

For example, the gateway server 32 may classify contents of the inputinformation into a group of information addressed to the merchant server80 and the other group of information addressed to the credit cardcompany's server 60, and transmit them separately. That is, the gatewayserver 32 transmits the sales product information among the inputinformation to the merchant's server 80; and transmits the credit cardcontract information and amount-of-transaction information to the creditcard company's server 60. Then, credit-approval or denial informationfrom the credit card company's server 60 may be transmitted to themobile station 100 through the merchant's server 80, or from the creditcard company's server 60 directly to the mobile station 100 and themerchant's server 80.

Further, the gateway server 32 may store shopping screens and, uponreceiving a request from the mobile station 100, provide the storedshopping screen with the mobile station 100.

[B-6. Types of Contracts]

In the above embodiments, the contract has been described in terms ofthe sign-up for credit cards, but it is not limited thereto. Varioustypes of contracts may be envisioned such as opening bank accounts ormaking loan contracts with financial institutions, making insurancecontracts with insurance companies, or acquiring membership with variousorganizations.

[B-7. Modifications in the Mobile Station 100 and the CAT 40]

[B-7-1. First Modification]

A mobile station 100 may provide credit card contract information withthe CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . by using bar codes.

FIG. 21 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a mobile station100 that displays bar codes indicating credit card contract informationon the liquid crystal display 132.

This mobile station 100 comprises a transmitter-receiver 110, a controlunit 120, a user interface 130 that has a liquid crystal display 132,and a data input/output terminal 140.

Control programs stored in the program ROM 122 include a program forgenerating bar code data designating credit card contract information.

When there is a need to display credit card contract information, theCPU 121 reads out credit card contract information from the credit cardcontract ROM 123, generates bar code data designating the credit cardcontract information in accordance with the bar code generating programand displays the generated bar code on the liquid crystal display 132.

On the other hand, the CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . is equipped with a bar-codereader and capable of reading the bar code displayed on the liquidcrystal display 132 of the mobile station 100.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a CAT 40 equippedwith the bar-code reader.

The CAT 40 comprises, a user interface 41, a transmitter-receiver 42, anoutput interface 43, a controller 44, and a bar-code reader 45.

The controller 44 controls each section of the CAT 40. The userinterface 41 is for a sales person to enter sales amount. The bar-codereader 45 reads the bar code displayed on the liquid crystal display 132of the mobile station 100. The transmitter-receiver 42 exchanges variousinformation with the CAFIS network 50. The output interface 43 is aprinting device of a credit sales slip.

Other configurations and operations are same as the first embodiment.

What to be displayed on the liquid crystal display 132 is not limited tobar codes but may be anything that can be optically read; for example,calra code or veri code.

[B-7-2. Second Modification]

A mobile station 100 may provide credit card contract information withthe CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . by using infrared rays.

FIG. 23 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the mobile station100 that provides credit card contract information with the CAT 40 a, 40b, . . . by infrared rays.

This mobile station 100 comprises a transmitter-receiver 110, a controlunit 120, a user interface 130, a data input/output terminal 140, amodulator 170, and an infrared emitter 180.

When there is a need to provide credit card contract information to theCAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . , the CPU 121 reads out credit card informationfrom the credit card contract ROM 123 and gives them to the modulator170. The modulator 170 modulates infrared ray carrier by signal wavescorresponding to the given credit card contract information and give themodulated infrared rays to the infrared emitter 180. The infraredemitter 180 emits the given infrared rays.

On the other hand, the CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . is equipped with aninfrared receiver as well as a demodulator, by which the infrared raysemitted from the infrared emitter 180 of the mobile station 100 arereceived and demodulated so as to acquire the credit card contractinformation.

FIG. 24 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a CAT 40 that isequipped with the infrared receiver and the demodulator.

The CAT 40 comprises a user interface 41, a transmitter-receiver 42, anoutput interface 43, a controller 44, the infrared receiver 46, and thedemodulator 47.

Other configurations and operations here are same as the firstembodiment.

[B-7-3. Third Modification]

Further, a mobile station 100 may provide credit card contractinformation with a CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . through an existing data outputterminal.

FIG. 25 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the mobile station100 where credit card contract information are given to the CAT 40 a, 40b, . . . through the existing data output terminal.

This mobile station 100 comprises a transmitter-receiver 110, a controlunit 120, a user interface 130, and a data input/output terminal 140.

When there is a need to give credit card contract information to the CAT40 a, 40 b, . . . , the CPU 121 reads out credit card contractinformation from the credit card contract ROM 123 and gives them to thedata input/output terminal 140. Subsequently, the data input/outputterminal 140 provides the given credit card information to a datainput/output terminal that is equipped with the CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . .

FIG. 26 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a CAT 40 that isequipped with the data input/output terminal.

The CAT 40 comprises a user interface 41, a transmitter-receiver 42, anoutput interface 43, a controller 44, and the data input/output terminal48.

Other configurations and operations here are same as the firstembodiment.

[B-7-4. Other Variations in Mobile Station 100 and CAT 40]

In the above-mentioned description concerning the mobile station 100equipped with a magnetic stripe, the mobile station 100 has only onemagnetic stripe 160 to which the magnetic writer 150 writes in creditcard contract information every time credit transactions are performed.However, it is not limited thereto.

For example, it is possible to provide a plurality of magnetic stripes160 on the magnetic card 161 so that one magnetic stripe corresponds toone credit card contract information item. That is, it means to provideas many magnetic stripes 160 as the number of credit card contracts.

In this case, the CAT 40 a, 40 b, . . . reads out a magnetic stripe 160in which card information of the designated credit card company isstored from among a plurality of magnetic stripes 160.

Also, in cases where users carry out credit card shopping only throughthe mobile packet communication network as mentioned above, the mobilestation 100 does not need to have a magnetic stripe 160. This is becauseit is possible to receive and transmit data to/from the credit cardcompany's server 60A, 60B, . . . only with a wireless communicationfunction in the case of the credit card shopping using the mobile packetcommunication network.

Further, in the above-mentioned description, mobile stations such ascellular phones and PHS possess the card information of credit cards.However, the carrier side is not limited to a mobile station 100 but maybe any mobile communication terminal without a calling function, forexample, PDA.

Further, in the above-mentioned description, the CAT 40A, 40B, . . . maygive its own information to the mobile station 100. For example, in thecase of credit card shopping, information such as the date of sales,merchant, sales amount that are stored in the CAT 40A, 40B, . . . may begiven to a mobile station 100. By doing this, the mobile station 100can, without making an access the credit card company's server 60A, 60B,. . . , accumulate its credit history based on which one is able tototal the amount of credit purchases to be drawn from one's bankaccount.

To do this, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, the CAT 40 a, 40b, . . . may be equipped with a data input/output terminal capable ofgiving the above information by being connected to the data input/outputterminal of the mobile station 100.

[B-8. Variations in User Authentication]

The above-mentioned embodiments are such that the gateway server 32conducts user authentication by matching the password pre-stored in thegateway server 32 and the password entered to the mobile station 100 byits user upon a request for starting a packet communication, but it isnot limited thereto.

For example, the mobile station 100 may store a password for userauthentication in advance. By doing this, the mobile station 100 canconduct user authentication without carrying out communication with thegateway server 32.

Further, in addition to the password (a first password) stored in thegateway server 32, another password (a second password) may be stored inthe credit card company's server 60. In this case, upon starting apacket communication, the first password is matched between the mobilestation 100 and the gateway server 32, the second password further beingmatched between the mobile station 100 and the credit card company'sserver 60 at the time of shopping with credit card or inquiring forone's credit history. Thus, it is expected to enhance the protection ofprivacy and security in using credit.

1. A communication network which communicates with a mobile terminalthat has communication functionality and financial functionality ofeffecting financial services provided by at least one financialinstitution, the communication network comprising: a communicationcontrol that communicates data with the mobile terminal and the at leastone financial institution to have the financial services implemented; amemory in which an identification of the mobile terminal is recordablealong with information concerning the mobile terminal as to whether todisable the financial functionality accorded to the mobile terminal; amemory control that, in response to a report notifying a possibility offraud which may be committed with the financial functionality of themobile terminal, stores in the memory, in connection with the mobileterminal, information indicating that the financial functionality has tobe disabled; a terminal control that, if the memory indicates that thefinancial functionality has to be disabled, sends a disabling signal,independently of the at least one financial institution, to the mobileterminal to which the financial functionality is accorded, wherein thedisabling signal causes the mobile terminal to at least partiallydisable either or both of the communication functionality and thefinancial functionality of effecting financial services.
 2. Acommunication network according to claim 1, wherein the communicationnetwork is a wireless communication network and the mobile terminal is awireless mobile telephone.
 3. A communication network according to claim1, wherein the financial services comprise a service for advancing acredit.
 4. A communication network according to claim 1, wherein theterminal is configured to selectively effect the financial servicesprovided by multiple financial institutions.
 5. A communication networkaccording to claim 1, wherein the terminal control sends the disablingsignal when the terminal becomes receptive to the disabling signal.
 6. Acommunication network according to claim 5, wherein the terminal controlsends the disabling signal when the terminal initiates a connection tothe communication network.
 7. A communication network according to claim5, wherein the terminal control sends the disabling signal when theterminal is turned on.
 8. A communication network according to claim 1,wherein the terminal control checks the memory to see whether to disablethe mobile terminal, when the mobile terminal sends a dispatch signal toa nearby base station.
 9. A communication network according to claim 1,wherein the disabling signal causes the mobile terminal to erase data inthe mobile terminal regarding the financial services.